Tips and tricks for making the transition to natural hair easy and affordable.

Don’t Opt For Expensive Cons

Quality isn’t always determined by price!

Transitioning on a budget all depends on what works best for you. There are many expensive hair products marketed towards transitioning to natural hair, but most drugstore brands work just as well and cost more than 50 percent less! That being said, try all of the affordable products before you work your way up the cost scale. As long as you know what you are looking for and follow a couple of guidelines, the cheaper products will work just as well as the expensive products.

Finding The Right Product

Don’t be a product junkie!

For hair types 2, 3a, and 3b, a good clarifying shampoo and deep conditioner should definitely be on your list. Pricing for both items can be as little as a couple dollars apiece. Often times, transitioning to natural hair calls for a remedy such as a deep conditioner. An easy way to enhance a cheaper conditioner is to add special oils or ingredients to make it even richer. Try adding oils such as rose oil or coconut oil.

Type 3C and 4 hair will require a bit more maintenance, especially after a chemical relaxer or straightening treatment which can cause excessive damage to your hair. Many women recommend braiding, twisting,  or adding extensions to your hair while waiting for it to grow out. All of these work, but you need to be gentle since kinkier hair has more of a tendency towards breakage. Be sure that you are deep conditioning often, and either reducing the amount of time you wash, going with the no-shampoo method.

Use At Home Remedies

Convenience is cheap!

There are plenty of easy, inexpensive, homemade hair treatments that you can make simply using what is already in your kitchen. One great treatment for your hair is a homemade hot oil treatment. All you need are  essential oils including extra virgin olive oil. Heat up a quarter of a cup of oil in the microwave until warm and work it through damp hair.

The real question is not whether it will work (because this remedy will), but the price in comparison. It really depends on every person’s experience with transitioning to natural hair. A decent bottle of extra virgin olive oil can cost between $7 and $20. However, you aren’t using the whole bottle for your hair, and you can still use it for cooking. Pre-made conditioning products, on the other hand, can cost $2 or more.

Deep Condition Often

Regardless of your hair type, it’s important to not only deep condition, but to also do a deep conditioning and hot oil treatment for your hair.

When you do this, wet your hair first. This will help to seal the moisture in the cuticle, strengthening the hair and causing less frizz.

Most importantly HAVE FUN with it. Experiment with different products and styles to find what works best for you and your hair. And last but not least don’t forget to Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize!

Source: Naturally Curly